And They All Go Marching In
by Egglette
Summary: You walk on the other side of the street of them. You dress better, eat better, you live better. They breathe life into fire, earth, air , and water, and you're only human. They probably outnumber you. And yet, they're the outcasts. AU. Not a oneshot Soko
1. Prologue

**So I know I'm probably being mentally murdered by fans of my TT stories, but lets face it, I'm on block. VV Its a sad truth but I'm going to be blunt about it. They're unlikely to be updated anytime soon. Every time I open their word document and try to write, the words just don't flow like they did. I don't know what happened- I've been trying to get it back, really, I have. I've tried one-shoting, drabbling, and those haven't worked, so now I'm just moving on until I get my muse back.**

**So welcome to my first Avatar story. Its an AU, in a more modern day-ish timeline, with technology and all that sort. There's still bending, but in this world, that makes you an outcast instead of powerful. Inspired by countless metahuman-mutant stories I've read with a hint of V for Vendetta, I give you...this.**

**Title:  
Rating: T  
Pairings: SongxZuko, KataraxAang, the rest undecided and shall play out.  
Summary: You walk on the other side of the street of them. You dress better, eat better, you live better. They breathe life into fire, earth, air , and water, and you're only human. They probably outnumber you. And yet, they're the outcasts. **

**

* * *

**

Outcasts. Freaks. Mutants.

That's what we called them. We laughed and pointed and we shunned them for trying to stand out in society. For the ones who tried to make a difference… They were silenced quickly.

For years there was order. No one turned their noses up at others and bending made you powerful. We had two world leaders, and they kept the world at balance. The human's president and the bender's avatar; together society never faltered.

And then, suddenly, the avatar was gone. The plan was quickly sent into motion; the President sent out squads and officers. In they shuffled, with their one-way glass helmets and laser guns, escorting anyone who displayed signs of bending out and somewhere new.

Children were separated from their parents, but the most anyone ever did about it was cry and scream as they were carried away. It was made quite clear that anything else attempted brought only death. I wasn't around then; my grandmother, however, still has nightmares of the screams of babies being torn from their mother's hands.

I shut my eyes when she told me the stories.

You must understand something about me. I'm not brave, I'm not clever, and I wasn't even intending to do anything about the segregation of our world. I taught myself to keep my mouth shut at a young age. My father had tried to do something about it, and it had only landed him dead.

If you wanted to live, I learned, you didn't talk. You kept your head down. And most importantly, you looked the other way when one of them tried to talk to you.

I don't know why someone out there assigned me to this job; I was probably the least fit for it. Benders had caused enough trouble for me as it was; it was somewhat obvious I blamed them for the death of my father. And yet, I would find myself dragged into a society full of benders and humans.

And somehow join plotting to overthrow the President anyway.

**

* * *

And of prologue. Dragged in yet? I sure hope so.**

**The only name you'll really need to know is that Sophie, our main character, is Song. Everyting else will hopefully play out.**


	2. Nurse of Humans

**Chapter 2. Due to suggestions, I'm not using alter-ego names. It is too confusing.**

**So in this verse, asian-influenced names are still big.**

**Sophie; don't need to know. Yupyup. Much influence from Cave of Two Lovers- but you'll see eventually that it's not gonna follow the plot as much as it seems. This isn't going to be a very long story- I'm not expecting more than 12 chapters. **

* * *

I don't remember the exact day he entered my life. I think it might've been a Wednesday. I'm older now and my memories are a bit fuzzy, but I do remember it was right after the flowers had begun to bloom; right into the beginning of spring. The snow had finished melting just a few weeks previous and the air was sometimes still brisk in the mornings. 

Spring had always been my favorite season.

My father had died in the dead of winter when I was just eight years old. I remember my mother holding me in a hug and whispering in my ear, "See those tulips? Even though they disappear in the winter, they're always back in spring to remind us that life continues." But I, for some reason, hated that memory and try to block it out whenever I can.

On the day of our first meeting, I had been comforting an elderly woman who had just lost her husband to Alzheimer's disease.

"He hadn't been my Kan for years," she had been ranting, blowing her nose with one hand and waving the other frantically. "It was like he was a different man, so afraid and frail; nothing like the man I had married!" She continued to wail. Luckily for me, I was good at comforting people. My voice was soft and soothing and my words were always coated with sugar, as if I could really relate to their problems.

Both my parents had a degree in medicine, so I had been slapping band-aids on scabbed knees as far back as I could remember, even when I was just a small girl. When a kid fell on the playground they would go to me first, instead of the school nurse. I always kept band-aids, or as I had called them 'Sticky Patches', in my pockets and sometimes even in my shoes. Sometimes, I even got in trouble for it.

So I suppose it was simple fate that I would grow up to be a nurse. No one was surprised.

I had my arm slung over her shoulder like a rag doll smiling and calmly assuring her that he was in a better place now, that everyone has a time, things like that. People like to hear those kinds of things. She had just begun to gather herself, her sniffles slowly fading, when I had got the call.

Katara appeared in the doorway, leaning on the frame and smiling. Immediately I felt a tiny pang of envy and respect, looking up at her. She was the kind of girl who everyone envied and wanted to hate, but often couldn't bring themselves to do it. Her hair was long and brown; a shade or two lighter than mine. Often it was worn in a braid and when she wasn't working, two strands of hair framed around her face. Her skin was deeply tanned, like a Hawaiians', and her eyes, piercing and blue, stood out in contrast. _My_ eyes were a dull grey and I had boring, over-used side bangs. While I was simply cute, she was beautiful.

In high school she had been captain of the swim team and, though she hates to talk about it, but prom queen too. In high school I had been a nobody, and my prom date had been a boy who thought he could get lucky with me in a hotel room. I had been ditched the moment he found out I wasn't some slut who would give herself to him. Katara's prom date had been a boy she had been dating for years, and still was. He was smart, and although two years younger, athletic and loved by almost everyone.

As far as I knew, Katara had only been cheated on once. And that was before she fully hit puberty with some impulsive bad-boy. My first boyfriend had been when I was fifteen, definitely not before puberty. I had been cheated on twice.

I knew Katara didn't approve of the government, but she was smart enough not to bring up bending around me and to keep her mouth shut. Unlike me, a simple nurse, she was a full-fledged doctor of the human department.

Judging from the way I talked about her, people often assumed I hated her and was only jealous. However it was quite the opposite. Despite the silent war raging in the world, I was an optimist, as was Katara. And together, we could secretly hope for a better world.

"Knock, knock," She said with a smirk. We both looked up and instantly both smiled. I smiled because she was my friend and the elderly woman, smiled because Katara was the kind of person who drew the corners of lips upward.

"So," she said, referring to my nickname, "you're needed in room 202. Some old guy's got food poisoning and he needs your special remedy. I'll take care of her." I nodded, getting the message; skin diseases were my specialty. I stood, pausing only to wipe the dust from my peach and white nurses' uniform and patted the woman's hand affectionately.

I assured her she was in good hands and with a passing smile towards Katara, entered the hallway.

I locked eyes with a nurse on the other side of the hall. We both had closed our doors at the same time, we were both nurses, we both had the same skill level, and yet I was paid twice as much as she, my uniform was nicer than hers, my equipment was updated, and I lived a safer life.

She was a waterbender; a healer and that made her an outcast. She worked in the bender's department, doing the same things I did, only with bending. She was probably twice as skilled as I was, and probably worked twice as hard. She and I both knew there was something wrong with this picture. Neither of us said anything.

I looked away first. That was the way it worked; you waited for the human to make the first move.

Within moments I was in the elevator. I was welcomed by the boring (yet peaceful) lull of elevator music as I rose a single floor. A loud 'bing' welcomed me to the second floor and I took a little more time crossing this hallway. The second floor was not nearly as crowded or as busy, used for walk-in patients who were in for physicals, or flu's, or, in this man's case food poisoning.

It was also an all-human floor, just like they all were. The first floor was the only exception, and the benders were given only half of it.

"Good afternoon," I greeted the man in room 202. His food poisoning, which had made his already-large body swell, was bad, but I had seen worse. He looked like he had stuffed two round, ripe apples in his cheeks. His stomach looked like he had one too many helpings and above all, he was scratching himself anywhere and everywhere. "My name is Song."

"…Mushy," the man greeted back. His voice sounded slightly Asian, not that it was noticeable in his features. His cheeks were so round that they caused his eyes to close halfway, so they looked a bit like crescent moons. He was old, so his hair was graying.

"You're human, right?" I asked, snapping on my plastic gloves.

"Yes," he said with a nod. I pulled out a needle, as was regulation.

"I'm going to need a blood sample; just protocol. We wouldn't want you to be in the wrong department, would we?" I was only joking around, but clearly to him I hadn't said the right thing.

He quickly grew uncomfortable, looking past me. He began to have a conversation with head and hand gestures. I turned, surprised to see a scowling young man frowning back at me. He was wearing an old, dirty Mets cap and watching me from his right eye. A few tuffs of dark brown hair stuck out the back and bottom. He froze the minute I lay my eyes on him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," I brightly said, holding out my hand. "Song."

He said nothing in reply nor made no movement to shake my hand. Instead, Mushy spoke for him. "Excuse my nephew's rudeness," he apologized, sharply glancing at the young man, "this is my nephew…Li." He looked rather rehearsed, like he had done this before.

"Alright, so before I start…you mind?" I held up the needle with an encouraging smile. Reluctantly, he stuck out his arm. I pressed the needle against the skin. Once I was done I gave him another smile and held the vial up to the light. It was positive; human.

"Great," I murmured happily.

Suddenly, my arm shot out and grabbed Mushy's hand, stopping it centimeters before it could touch anymore skin. He looked annoyed, but amused. I shook my head, smiling. "Tell me, when did your skin break out like this?" I asked, shuffling towards the medicine cabinet and pulling out a small container of white cream.

"Uh, earlier today," Mushy told me with an uncertainty that made me pause, but only for a minute.

I took that into note, nodding as I applied the cream. "You should have come right in; the rash would have gone right away." Mushy only shrugged with a smile.

"Li was the one who made me come in; I was about to use some old medicine from the forties that was probably for headaches. I should be thanking him," Mushy continued. He and I both laughed. From the corner of my eye, I saw Li fighting down a smile.

"That was very smart Li," I praised, throwing my head over my shoulder to smile at him. He quickly grew somber and looked away. Immediately, something caught my eye about the left side of his face. "That's a nasty scar you've got there," I observed. Distantly, I could see Mushy slicing the air in front his neck. I chose to ignore it, and continued. "A firebender give you that?"

I immediately knew I had said the wrong thing, for I saw Li's fists clench. The atmosphere grew awkward quickly and I turned back to Mushy just in time to stop him from scratching himself. "So, er, what did you eat?"

My question brought Mushy back into reality and he looked at me curiously for a moment. "Huh? Oh, yes, oh, I tried to eat a not-so-healthy vegetable."

With my head lowered as I applied the ointment, I smirked up at him. A vegetable that wasn't healthy? I decided to ask, and Mushy chuckled again. His laugh was aged and hearty; something only old men could pull off. I felt a slight reminisce of my grandfather. "Alright, alright, I give. I tried to make my own tea."

I paused, recalling a restaurant I had had dinner at a few months ago that had served excellent tea. "I know a wonderful Japanese restaurant downtown," I murmured absently. By the way Mushy's body relaxed I could tell he was intrigued. Behind me, Li began to moan.

"Oh?" He pressed, rubbing his chin. I slapped the hand away.

"Yes, and they have all kind of delicacies like roast duck or—"

"Say no more," Mushy interrupted. He smiled at me. "I already like the place."

I felt my cheeks grow warm with heat as my head rushed. I don't know why, maybe it was fate, but a sudden bravery and boldness coursed through my veins. I blurted out, "I could take you, if you'd like."

It was silent a few moments after that and I soon regretted even mentioning the restaurant. "I don't think—" Li began.

"Z—Li!" Mushy scolded harshly. "Miss Song has just been very kind to us; I think we should accept her offer!"

"Uncle," I could hear Li's voice rising. He was struggling to keep calm.

"Li," Mushy countered. I felt quite awkward, caught in the middle of the staring contest. Their eyes were boring into one another's, waiting to see which one would stand down first.

"Well, maybe we should just forget I said—" I tried to squeeze in, but Mushy quickly cut me off.

"No. You have made a very generous offer and we will humbly accept," He said, shooting one more quick glance towards Li. I couldn't help thinking that maybe Mushy was raised from a very manners-forward family.

I tried to smile, but to my dismay it came out as weak. "Alright then. I just need to speak with my supervisor; you're my last patient, but I need to tell her I'm going out." I turned to Li, who was adjusting his Mets cap and trying to cover his forehead more. As he realized I was watching him, I could make out a slight tinge of pink in his cheeks.

---

"I hope you two don't mind the subway," I murmured as we stepped onto the subway car. "Medical school wasn't cheap, and I don't really see a need for a car in this city…" I trailed off, realizing neither Li nor Mushy were paying attention to me. Li's eyes were darting from person to person, as if testing them to see if they were some crazed stalker who was following them. Mushy, on the other hand, obviously excited about the restaurant, had closed his eyes, humming happily to himself. His rash, thanks to the ointment, was steadily disappearing.

I saw a woman sitting down with a child in her lap as we entered; instantly, my eyes were drawn to their necks. Both wore a silver chain with a green pendant; benders. The woman caught my gaze and stood abruptly up. "The seat is yours."

I would've been fine standing, but when I opened my mouth to protest, her eyes darted towards a guard standing at the end of the car. The gun was so big he needed to hold it with two hands and even though it wasn't pointing at us, I still felt my body tremble. His head turned towards us. I nodded—it felt so wrong—and sat down.

No sooner than my eyes had been closed for a minute, I felt a pair of eyes on me. My own opened with mixed alarm and curiosity, surprised to see Li's golden-brown orbs staring straight at my right leg. The bottoms of my scrubs were a bit short in the length and whenever I sat, they rose to a bit above my ankles.

More importantly, he was staring at my scar. I looked up at him, and we locked eyes. His Mets hat was still pulled downward, but I could see some kind of surprise or pity in his eyes. I wondered what my own eyes were telling him.

_It's nothing_. _Don't worry about it_. _Yeah, so_?

Then the train lurched to a stop and an automated female voice broke through to us. I snapped back into reality, as did Li. I could feel my cheeks flushing. Then I registered the voice had told me we were at our stop and I stood. Li followed in suit, and nudged his uncle awake. He snorted a bit and looked rather surprised, but let out a soft laugh after realizing he had fallen asleep.

I could tell Li was staring at my leg again, but this time I ignored his gaze and led them out of the station.

The minute we stepped off the last stair and entered the street, a surprisingly warm blast of air hit my face. My bangs and braid ruffled in the breeze. I turned in the direction the restaurant was and once again locked eyes with Li. It was far less intense this time and I soon realized I was smiling. He didn't glare back, simply turned away.

The Japanese restaurant was called The White Jade Lily, and among its wide variation of tempura and sushi, served a mean noodle soup. It was a human-only restaurant, advertised proudly with bright neon signs.

After we had ordered—Mushy right away knowing exactly what he wanted—I brought up conversation. "So…Li's an interesting name," I spoke up, drawing both pairs of eyes to me. I could clearly see Li's eyes widen this time, Mushy insisting he remove the hat. Li had protested, but finally gave in and reluctantly agreed. "Were you named after anyone?"

"Yes," Li blurted out quickly. I looked to him, expecting a continuation.

"After his father," Mushy supplied after a few moments of Li saying nothing. Slowly, he began to act more confident with his words. "Yes, after his father… Sometimes, I even all him Junior." He let out an unconvincing chuckle.

I chanced a side-glance at Li. He didn't strike me as a 'Junior', but then again he didn't really look more like a 'Li' either. He was glaring at his uncle as if he would've preferred that to stay unsaid and I couldn't help but giggle softly.

That, I think, was the last peaceful moment we'd be having for a while.

Before there's a terrible storm or hurricane, there is always some kind of peaceful, calm before it hits. The clouds wouldn't have gathered yet and there was not a cloud in the sky. The sea gulls or birds roamed the skies in circles, occasionally scooping down to grab a fish. It was beautiful, and no one would expect that it would bring a storm with cowering before.

That's what this moment was like; my laughter, Mushy's smile, and Li's growing grin.

Suddenly, three young women, probably no older than me, burst into the restaurant. Two had guns, pointed up at the ceiling. The third was simply in hard stance I could vaguely make out to be gymnastics. All three wore dark-tinted sunglasses and black suits. I couldn't tell, but earpieces were probably a given.

A shiver was sent down my spine. I had seen routines like this before; once, in the hospital. A pregnant bender had tried to slip in to the human emergency room to birth her baby, but the blood sample had been negative. Minutes before she gave birth, she was thrown out. I had been curious and had peeked out from behind the blinds to see her give birth in an alley.

I had thought about saying how horrible that was, but an officer had stepped in front of my view and shaken his head at me. I was quiet for the rest of the night.

The longer I looked at them, the more fearful I grew. I looked to Mushy and Li, as if they would be any help. Mushy looked simply annoyed, slightly angry, while Li had already stood; ready to move.

One of the girls suddenly locked her eyes on me. Quickly they passed over and landed on another target. She turned her head, calling to another one of the girls.

"What—" I wasn't given time to finish my sentence. Rough hands found their way around my mouth and waist. Before I knew it, I was being scooped up.

Things rushed past me in a great blur. I vaguely remember the back exit opening, I remember looking up to see Li frantically darting his head left and right. The alleyway was distant to me, but I remember nearly being knocked against the wall after Li tripped on a garbage can.

The creaking of a dumpster filled my ears and although everything was still hazy, I swore Mushy was yelling, "Zuko, down here!" _Who was Zuko_, I thought blankly. The last thing I remembered before darkness was being thrown into a dumpster and hitting my head on something hard.

It was already dark inside the dumpster, I could hear Li's anxious breaths against my neck, and I was fading fast. I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know where I was (aside from the fact I was passing out in a dumpster), but I did know one thing:

_Li and Mushy weren't who they said they were. _

_**

* * *

**_

**Reworked version. I don't know where this'll go, or when I'll update. But it was bothering me that I still hadn't posted this. **

**High school is a bitch.**


	3. A Cave

**I really appreciate those who reviewed, I'm still working out the plot of this story, so I don't know how much the next chapter exactly will be. This is a pretty short chapter by my standards, but it was halloween and so on blahblahblah.**

**Disclaimer: bite me.**

* * *

"Wakey wakey," I heard someone say. Slowly my eyes fluttered open. I felt dizzy and my head was pounding like hell, like some sort of hangover. On top of all that, my vision was cloudy. Being a nurse, I knew the symptoms; I had passed out.

Finally my vision cleared, revealing a man (who looked vaguely familiar) in a chair next to me. I sat up, to find I was not in an alleyway, in a _dumpster_, of all places, but a bed, like one you would find at a hospital. Was I at a hospital? I took a glance around and confirmed a 'no', looking the ground. Instead of tile, there was dirt.

"Where am I?" Good first question Song, I chided myself. Nothing like, 'What happened', or 'Why were those girls chasing us?'

The man beside me was sharpening some kind of boomerang as he replied (not even bothering to look at me), "Underground." He said it so simply, as if it was completely normal. Yeah, you know, everyone likes to spend their free time underground where the air is thick and your space is limited.

My eyes trailed up to what should be a ceiling, and sure enough, I was shocked to see rock all around us. I looked to the walls; they were rock too. "Are you human?" I asked, nearly in a whisper. There was something in his face so familiar that I couldn't place, irking me slightly.

His face was somber as he told me, "_I_ am." What did he mean by that? There were others who weren't? He stood from his chair and offered his hand to me. "Come on; let's get you something to eat. After that, there's something you need to see."

My curiosity spiked as I took his hand. He pushed back the curtain and led me forward. I was shocked at what I saw; dozens upon dozens of people tending wounds and lying in hospital beds, sheltered behind curtains, like I had been.

My heart skipped a beat when we passed a girl healing a man's torn flesh with waterbending. "What is she doing?" I hissed at my guide, but he said nothing. "But she's bending! Aren't you going to—"

He turned on me, dropping my hand. "Look, I don't know why you're here if you don't know what's going on, so just do me a favor and keep it quiet. Someone will explain it to you later." I gulp and nod. "Okay, let's find you some food."

As we walked on further, I saw a few young men practicing earthbending in a far corner. I gasped, but my guide didn't seem to notice. After giving me a loaf of bread and a mug of water, he ushered me to another part of the cave. I was hesitant, but he looked impatient.

I had been shocked before, but then I saw _it_. I had heard of these fearsome creatures; badger-moles. But this one looked docile, standing in front of a cave wall as though guarding something. I was prepared to be eaten alive, my cries being drowned out as I was swallowed. But upon seeing us, he clapped his massive paws together, creating another passageway.

I heard myself gasp again. As we traveled through the tunnel, my guide began to mutter. "I can't believe he brought another human into this," He said.

"Into what? What is going on?" I got no reply. By now we had reached another badger-mole, who repeated the same move as the first one. The entrance was created, but this time there was not another tunnel. It appeared to be a room.

There was a huge, round table in the center of the room. I couldn't quite make out the figures from where we stood, but there were a half dozen or so people gathered around this table, arguing.

They didn't seem to notice us entering; that is, until the wall rose up behind us. Wherever I was, I was trapped. Heads swiveled in our direction.

"Sokka, it's about time," A very familiar, female voice said sharply. I recognized the voice immediately.

"Katara?"

Katara, now garbed in traditional waterbenders' clothing, sucked in her breath upon seeing me. "What are you wearing?" Now I realized why my guide looked so familiar. I had seen him dropping by at the hospital, visiting Katara once or twice. He was her brother.

I took a quick glance around the table, surprised to see that I recognized some of the faces. Among them sat Katara's boyfriend, Aang, whom I had met on several occasions. My eyes trailed onward, shocked to see Li and Mushy sitting there. Mushy was smiling at me (somewhat sadly, I noted), but Li's eyes were everywhere but me.

"What is going on?" I hissed to Katara as she rose from her seat, approaching me.

"I'll explain to you later Song. For now, just have a seat." She gestured to a small couch on the far side of the room. I figured by now, I was dreaming, so I just nodded dumbly and sat.

"Why did you run!" A man's voice shout out, immediately losing interest in me. "You should've fought back; with Iroh with you, you had the upper hand!"

"I couldn't, Jet," that was Li's voice, "I was with someone else. A human."

"The girl?" A petite, dark-haired woman asked. Dirty feet rested upon their table, and her expression was clearly bored. They were talking about me.

"Yeah, good going," Sokka snorted. "I can't believe you still went to one of their hospitals."

"What did you expect them to do?" My back was to them, but I could tell that was Katara. "I can't heal skin diseases. Besides, I've known her since I started working there. She's a good person."

"She was very kind," a voice, definitely Mushy, adds. My cheeks flushed; clearly, they didn't realize I could hear them. They were silent for a moment, before being interrupted rather rudely by the petite woman.

"Can we just get to business?" She demanded.

"Toph's right," Aang said. "Azula knows we're in the city, somewhere. I'm sure she's got scouts all over the country. She carries her guards with her too, and the three of them combined is lethal."

"One of them takes away bending temporarily," Katara muttered, somewhat bitterly. "You have to stay away from her, especially."

"We need to find a way to infiltrate," Sokka mused. "If this is going to down right, we need an elite team of non-benders to get close to Ozai." Suddenly, everything clicked. Mushy and Li's behavior, Li's hesitance and anger of my suggestion. My eyes grew wide; these people were The Resistance! I stood, whirling around.

"You people are assassins!" I couldn't believe it. Katara, one of my best friends, was plotting to kill!

---

"Not assassins," The handsome man named Jet said firmly. "We are trying to right the world."

I blinked and opened my mouth, still appalled. He approached me, a smile coming onto his lips. "Don't you see how wrong the world is under President Ozai?"

"I-I," I tried to stutter out, but I had no reply. This was just all too much to take in. My head started pounding again.

"Leave her be Jet," Li—although now I doubted his name was really Li—said harshly. It was apparent that the two boys did not get along so well. Ignoring Li's advice, Jet continued towards me. I felt my body trembling slightly.

"Think about it; we're not the bad guys. President Ozai is a murderer. He killed millions of benders, made them outcasts, tried to kill his own—"

"Jet!" The combined voices of Aang, Katara, and Mushy cried.

Li stood, the only sound in the room being his chair scooting back. All eyes followed him as he pushed Jet aside—not rudely, but forcefully enough to get a message through. He then offered me his hand. "Come on."

I stared at it for a minute, debating. Then I raised my head to look into his eyes. They were stern, as I had always seen them, but I saw a flickering of hope. I took his hand.

There was a tense silence as he and I looked at each other. I don't know for how long we stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Of all the times I had imagined staring into the eyes of a man, holding hands, this was certainly not how I pictured it. I saw it as tender, loving, and very romantic.

This was not romantic.

It was awkward.

"I better come too," Katara said, finally breaking us apart. I could feel my cheeks burning, and I assumed Li's were too. She looked to both of us, eyeing Li up and down once as if to warn. Then she snatched my hand away from his, leading me out the way I came.

I assumed Li was following us as I was being dragged along, stumbling to catch my footing. The next few tunnels were a daze to me—I stopped keeping track of how many times we passed a third badger-mole.

"Aren't you afraid of those beasts? They can bend you know," I whispered to Katara. It wasn't until we entered another room, this one decorated with blue tapestries and beds, that she answered me. I saw the waterbender's emblem large on the wall.

After being instructed to sit, I saw Li hanging back by the entrance. He wasn't looking at us, but appeared deep in thought. "Katara, what's going on? Why is this place filled with benders? Why are you—"

She joined me by a small fire, and then proceeded to move a jug of water in between us. With a swish of her hand, a small whip of water coiled out of the jug. My eyes grew wide, but I couldn't even look at her. "To start, I'm a waterbender."

"I'm undercover as a doctor, working my way up until I can get important patients; ones who work for the government." She sighed. My eyes dropped, voice suddenly gone. "I never wanted you to get dragged into this; when Iroh was poisoned, I didn't know where else to turn. Waterbenders can't heal rashes and skin diseases and I knew that you had that special ointment—"

"Is he a bender too?" I asked, interrupting. I didn't know who Iroh was, but at the moment, I didn't care. Looking back, I suppose that I could very easily figure out who Iroh was, but my mind was too filled to even consider the possibilities. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that I was looking at Li—whatever his name was.

"Yes," she said quickly, as if to get it out of the way. She took another long, deep breath. "Song, please don't tell. We've been planning this for years, ever since we found the Avatar—"

My head snapped up. "The Avatar? You…know the Avatar? He's alive?"

Katara grinned somewhat impishly. "I know him in more ways than one." The grin faded. "But Song please, I know this, everything we are doing, is going against how you were raised, but I need you to open your eyes and trust me."

I sat there, quiet. For how long I cannot begin to guess, for a million different things were swirling through my mind. My best friend was a spy. There was an entire army of benders in this cave, perhaps hiding out from the real world. People I knew and thought to be my friends were assassins. My friend wanted me to trust her, but I had been taught benders were such…monsters.

Looking into her eyes, so piercing and blue, and then sharing a gaze with the so-called Li, I knew it was too late to turn around and go back to my simple nursing job. Far, far too late.

"I…I trust you."

* * *

**-and it ends in Law in Order BUMBUM-**


End file.
